Theatre and Individualism: Henrik Ibsen, ’A Doll’s House’ - Professor Belinda Jack

A Doll’s House is a three-act play by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. Its first performance was at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen, in Denmark, on 21 December 1879. It is often considered to be a feminist play as Nora, the heroine, leaves her husband and children intent on self-discovery. Ibsen, on the other hand, denied any conscious attempt to provide propaganda for the women’s rights movement and claimed that his concern was for the description of humanity. If the play is about the need to find the self and to live true to that self, then what is the nature of individualism that the play promotes? The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website: Gresham College has offered free public lectures for over 400 years, thanks to the generosity of our supporters. There are currently over 2,500 lectures free to access. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to learn from some of the greatest minds. To support Gresham’s mission, please consider making a donation: